大象传媒

James Parkinson described a condition known as the 鈥渟haking palsy鈥� over 200 years ago. Today there are many things that scientists still don鈥檛 understand explaining why diagnosis, halting the progression or finding a cure for Parkinson鈥檚 can seem elusive. But how close are researchers to developing better treatments?

Better understanding seems to suggest that Parkinson鈥檚 is not one condition but several, with different causes and symptoms in different people. Many researchers think that early diagnosis and greater recognition of the non motor symptoms such as loss of smell, sleep disorders and depression is to be encouraged, while others say without effective treatments then there are ethical issues to consider.

Jane visits a brain bank and sees the changes in a Parkinson鈥檚 brain that causes many of the symptoms and she takes a test which examines the sense of smell. Could this be a new tool to identify early stages of the condition?

Plus repurposing of existing drugs, i.e. drugs that have been developed for one condition but being tested in another are having promising results in Parkinson鈥檚 and genetic studies are leading to a greater understanding of the mechanisms involved in PD which in turn is leading to new therapies.

(Photo: Man smelling hops in his hands. Credit: Ales-A/Getty Images)